Conventional airships, when not in flight, are maneuvered on the ground using a mooring device attached to the nose of the airship, and a plurality of handling lines. The handling lines are attached to various attachment points on the external surface of the body of the hull, or envelope of the airship, including the tail and nose sections of the airship. The attachment points often extend outwardly from the envelope of the airship, thus altering the envelope's smooth uniform surface. As such, the attachment points are a source of increased drag on the airship while it is in flight. Motorized vehicles and mooring masts are often attached to the free end of the handling lines to control the lateral and vertical movement of the airship as it is moved.
The mooring device is used in conjunction with the handling lines to provide additional control over the airship as it is moved on the ground. The mooring device comprises a nose cone and battens that are permanently attached to the airship's nose. The battens extend above the surface of the envelope, thus creating additional discontinuous or uneven surfaces that generate air drag while the airship is in flight. During the maneuvering of the airship on the ground, the battens and nose cone are attached to a large movable platform structure that is designed to be removably attached thereto. Underneath the platform, wheels are included that allow the platform, and attached airship to be maneuvered by a motorized vehicle.
Because increased air drag on the hull is not a significant concern for a conventional airship, the use of handling lines and the mooring device are deemed effective for maneuvering such conventional airship on the ground. However, for airships utilizing a low-drag envelope, such as a high-altitude airship, such handling lines and mooring devices using nose cones and battens create unwanted air disturbances in the laminar air stream that passes over the surface of the low-drag hull.
Therefore, there is a need for a ground handling system that does not utilize mooring masts, nose cones, and battens. Additionally, there is a need for a ground handling system that reduces the number of attachment points on the airship.